Search This Blog

Let's start at the very beginning...

My impressions of Dubai airport are blurred thanks to a fast moving airport cart with me sitting backwards. I am uncomfortable sitting facing backwards in any vehicle. One always likes to see where one is going. Sitting with our back to the driver is kind of heading into the unknown and we see things only in retrospect - if you get the meaning. I saw high ceiling, lights all over, arches galore ( I think ) people everywhere and a vastness of proportion which was not unpleasant. It was the " Topi Ud Gayi " kind of place that interests and overwhelms you at the same time. If airports can be thought to be masculine or feminine, then Dubai airport struck me as a feminine airport, in soft colors, decked up and scintillating. What ever my other impressions, my most fixed memory will be the driver singing ' dani dani dani daaaani '! He was a handsome guy with a high energy even at 2.30. I wish he had sung the next line. Maybe the next time I visit Dubai...

The 17 hr flight from Dubai to LA I won't wish even on my worst foes. No cribs against Emirates though. They were wonderful. The plane actually had leg space in keeping with average human scale, the food was plentiful and delicious, and the choice of the movies was awesome. But sitting for 17 hours strapped to a seat ( which has started to get a wee bit smaller and snugger every time I fly abroad ) I gave myself up to stoically observing pain and discomfort ( like they taught me at Vipassana ) in various areas for the remainder of my journey, telling myself- it builds character.

At every port our pattern was same. The moment we landed there would be a friendly attendant waiting right at the entrance of the aircraft with a wheelchair. He would plonk amma in the chair and take off, yelling at me over his shoulders- follow me ! I followed him of course. After all, he was zooming away with my one and only mom ! Same thing happened at LA's Tom Bradley Airport. ( Yes, in the US they name places after many many different people, unlike our country.) The friendly chap put mom in the chair and took off. He rushed us through the immigration, customs and other formalities, got our baggage, and with the speed of light brought us out to where Satish was waiting. I strongly recommend the authorities to fit these attendants with a bright red cape. They have earned it.

Finally completely jet lagged, with eyes wide open as an owl, we were on the American soil,

Get link

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Google+

Email

Other Apps

Get link

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Google+

Email

Other Apps

Comments

Inder said…

Hi Suniti,

Looks like you have started enjoying yourself.The comments about the airports were a treat as I could visualize you racing through them with the attendant taking off with mom.

Popular posts from this blog

I always knew that this visit was going to be different from my earlier visits to this country. Older I get (sigh!), more I find myself shifting from iWANT to iHAVE. This doesn't apply to iPAD of course, but that is indulgence with a capital I.

When asked what I wanted to do during my visit, images rushed to my mind. It surprised me to find out that most were about food. Anderson's Pea soup, the corn bread and honey which I had for breakfast in Arizona, the square slices from the Round Table pizza, the baked garlic with bread and olive oil in Nepenthe...enchiladas stuffed which cheese with a side order of refried beans and fried rice...not to mention margaritas... boiled corn on cob with melting butter eaten at a camping trip..sourdough bread which is a part of american history...the list was unending. " You need to go on a strict diet" was my brother's detached summing up. Maybe so..maybe so.

"See, one more girl has gone in" Tito whispered to me urgently. I tried to take a look over my shoulder, but couldn’t. As the nature hadn't designed my neck to turn in 180 degrees, I had to depend entirely on the faint reflections in the glass door opposite me and Tito’s dramatic narration.

We were sitting in a fancy downtown restaurant. as we were meeting after a long time there was a lot of catching up to do. Right in the middle of ‘what happened to ...’ Tito broke off to exclaim in a shocked tone .."I say- these girls look like hook- I mean... call girls. Is this THAT kind of a joint?"

I was a little surprised to find this puritanical streak in Tito. I wasn't sure if I entirely approved.In this metro city of ours I have stopped worrying about who does what for a living. From Barrister to Bar girl, each has to battle on the same turf every single day.

"Hmmmm ….May be they are" I mumbled into my wine. Having wine for lunch made me feel deliciously …

“ This is for you ma’am, compliments of the store”. The attendant at the cash counter handed me a credit card. I pushed it away as if it was on fire. “ No thanks. I don’t use them much. And I have one already.”The attendant looked at me pityingly. I always have this horrid suspicion that attendant kids always pity me.Next twenty minutes were spent explaining to me, how , with the shop’s own ‘Privileged customer’ card and the additional credit card I was going to save thousands of rupees, not to mention earn brownie points and win free gifts like diamond earrings, DVD players, and a free trip to Goa.“ And ma’am, it’s free!” That clinched the matter. A free card can’t hurt me much, can it?

After reaching home I pushed the unwanted card at the back of my desk drawer, and forgot about it. One year was over. And I started receiving bills for the never used card. I questioned the shop, and reminded them that they had said – Free card, no service charges.“ Only for one year ma’am! Now you w…